Fresh Start
by RavenSara84
Summary: Reno is about to undergo a transformation, one that he didn't realize he had to go through until last week.  He wants to get this over with, once the full moon is gone he'll return to normal... Too bad Cloud turned up.


Reno stretched, his arms reaching for the sky and then he relaxed, looking around him the desert relaxed him, he was no longer the loud Reno who worked for ShinRa, but another man completely.

Not even a man, at least not any more.

The red head had been so close, _so close_, to killing Rufus after he found out that the man had given him some injects at certain times when he got his health checks. The fact that it had begun when he started to work with the company _hurt_. He trusted this man, he worked his ass off for him and this is what he got?

He was an experiment that didn't know it!

That was why he was out here, Rufus had been ease on him, saying that he wouldn't reprimand him if he took a long holiday to sort himself out, to think things over.

_"I did it for the company. SOLDIER wasn't going to stay forever Reno, you know this,"_

_"You did this long before any of us knew that SOLDIER wouldn't work out,"_

He rubbed the back of his neck, he could feel the changes coming, night wouldn't arrive for a few more hours but his body knew that the time would come.

That he would finally change.

_"So, what am I gonna turn into?"_

_"A werewolf,"_

_"A WHAT?"_

_"A werewolf. It was the best animal I could think of,"_

"A fricking _werewolf,"_ He muttered to himself, hiding his bike and walking away.

He brought spare clothes with him, this would be his first time transforming from man to beast. If Rufus was right, his inner beast had tried to get out before, so this time it could be loud and painful.

_A werewolf. Every full-moon I'm gonna have to come out here... Cloud thinks he's got it bad._ He thought to himself, finding a small enough boulder near a small wooded area to wait on.

XOXOX

He fell asleep since someone woke him up by shaking his shoulder, roughly.

"Eh?" Reno blinked a few times and looked up to see Cloud staring down at him; "What are you doing out here yo?"

"Delivery, spotted your bike," He indicated behind him; "Wanted to make sure you were in one piece,"

"Huh, well I was just taking a nap," Reno told the blonde, standing up and then he noticed the sunsetting; "So, Tifa will be waiting for you?"

"Yea, most likely," Cloud confirmed, but didn't move.

_Is everyone against me now?_

"Well, I gotta get going, see ya," Reno was about to walk off, but he stopped the breath rushing out of him.

"Reno?" Cloud looked at the other, noticing how tense he had gotten.

"Get going," He said, then cried out in pain.

Cloud didn't move, just watched the horror that was happening to his once enemy. Reno's face changed to that of a long snout and long sharp fangs, his pale skin changed to fur, the same colour as his hair, a tail appeared and his fingers became that of long, sharp claws.

The creature turned to growl at the blonde, who just starred in shock and yet the werewolf quickly took off, _away_ from Cloud.

"That was... Reno?" Cloud was confussed, yet he saw it happen with his own eyes, Reno had changed, transformed into that _creature._

_That why you were out here Reno? To change without trouble? How long has this been going on?_ Cloud looked back to where Reno the werewolf had gone, deciding that he had to get back.

Blue eyes watched from the bushes. The beast had been careful to stay hidden, quiet a task considering his fur, but he managed it.

Between the animalistic thoughts of food and water, the human part that was still there thought: _At least he's gone._

The human part didn't want to stay incontrol of the animal, not right then, all he wanted to do was sleep and so he did, allowing the animal part to take over.

XOXOX

Three days later Reno woke up, his body back to normal, if slightly bloody and also naked. Carefully he got up, hearing a bike head towards the general area; although he was still in the wooded area, he didn't want to relax until he had his clothes on.

Moving towards the edge he crouched down and spotted Cloud who carried a leather bag.

_That's my bag!_ Reno thought, wondering what Cloud was doing, then noticed the blonde placed it near the edge of the woods and walked away; _He isn't that bad._

"I want to know how long this has been going on," Cloud said, his mako blue eyes scanning the outter woods.

"Eh, how about letting me get dressed first yo?" Reno called out, surprised how normal his voice was. For some reason he expected it to be raw, since he had changed into a werewolf, he thought there would have been more howling and whatever else wolves did.

"Hurry up,"

The red head moved and stretched an arm out to grab the bag, quickly pulling it in and then only moments later he came out, dressed in his usual outfit, white shirt, untucked, black trousors and suit jacket.

"All right?" He nodded to the other man.

"What was that? What happened 3 days ago?"

"I changed into a werewolf," Reno stated, wondering what he should tell him and also wondering why Cloud cared.

"How long has it been happening?"

"First time yo," He said with a shrug; "The theory is that during that fight with Yazoo, I got my head hit hard enough to finally let the change take hold,"

"Who did it to you?"

"No such things as werewolves Cloud," Reno grinned at the other who scowled at him.

"ShinRa," He figured it out; "Rufus Shinra did this to you, why did you..."

"Wooha!" He held his arms up; "I never let that man do this to me. Come on Cloud, do you really think I would?"

The blonde just looked at him; "Considering everything else you have done for that man..."

"Yea, okay, sure I killed people, but that's my _job._ You did it too remember," Reno snapped back and shook his head; "We all had to go through medical checks you know? When you first started it was every couple of months, now it's every six months to a year. I figured everyone got these injections, told me it was to help our bodies to heal,"

"It wasn't,"

"No, Rufus only told me last week what they did after they found out about the little injury I got," Reno sighed; "That's why I cam here, I figured no one woudl be around, I could change without any problems... Hey, what happened to you after...?"

"You just left," Cloud informed him; "Growled and then left,"

He nodded; "Yea, I though that's what I remembered... I just wanted to be sure yo,"

"Now what?"

Reno just looked at the blonde in confussion; "Huh? I go back, you'll carry on..."

"Shinra just used you as a lab rat. You're just going to let him..." Before Cloud could finish Reno had punched him in the gut, his breath leaing him.

"What do you suggest Cloud?" Reno glared at the other man; "Where do I go after leaving ShinRa? _What_ do I do after leaving ShinRa?"

He looked up at the red man, knowing that Reno was right. He didn't have anyother skills other than that which ShinRa gave him, to fight and to fly helicopters.

"Bar work," It just slipped out, everyone knew how much Reno enjoyed a drink, they may not be good drinks but he would still drink them.

"Seriously yo? Who would give me that kind of work?"

Cloud smiled slightly; "If you asked Tifa nicely I am sure she'll love to have you. She's always saying that she needs extra hands, considering she also has the kids to deal with too,"

Reno just looked at him, appearing to consider it; "It's a lot to give up yo,"

"Yea, but then again, at least you won't have people lying to you,"

"I'll think about it. 'Sides, Tifa might not want me to help her,"

Cloud shrugged; "You can only ask,"

"Yea, I guess," Reno looked out towards their home town, knowing that he needed more time to figure out exactly which place would benefit him more; "Thanks yo," He said as he walked towards his bike.

XOXOX

Two weeks later, Tifa was wiping down the bar, making sure it was clean before the customers crawled in when she heard a knock on the door.

"We're not opening for another hour!" She called out, but the person knocked louder and more insistantly; "Some people..."

She put the cloth down and walked towards the door, opening it she was about to start telling the person that they were shut when she saw who it was.

"Hey... Err, Tifa... I was talking to Cloud and he said you had a job opening?"

Tifa just looked at the man infront of her, unable to believe he was actually _asking_ for a job.

"Reno? What about ShinRa?" She asked him and noticed how he winced.

"Yea, I kinda... Quit," He smiled at her; "So, do you have a job opening or was Cloud pulling my leg yo?"

The woman just smiled and beckoned him in; "You've come at a good time,"

"How's that?"

"This time of day we don't get many customer's in, so it's easier to train people," She walked behind the bar and he followed, looking around; "What is it?"

"Strange, never thought I would work on _this_ side of the bar yo,"

"Considering how often you are at any local bar, you should be fine with this." Tifa told him.

"Cloud told you why...?" Reno asked, he _had_ to know if she knew, otherwise it would make asking for certain days off a bit of a problem.

"Yes, he did," She replied honestly; "It's fine Reno, don't worry about it,"

He let out a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding in, relieved that he didn't have to figure out a way to decieve her.

"It's a fresh start,"

"Yea, a fresh start yo," Reno said with a grin as he began to learn the basic workings of the bar.


End file.
